Plenty of popular places to run in Northeast Ohio

Especially on a pleasant sunny day, the Lake Metroparks Greenway Corridor is usually among the most popular spots in Northeast Ohio for local runners to train for a possible race or the opportunity to run for exercise.

The corridor is a scenic 4.8-mile paved trail that links the municipalities of Painesville, Painesville Township and Concord Township.

Runners, along with walkers, bikers, inline skaters and others, can cross two bridges and experience varied levels of terrain ranging from a 660-foot elevation in Painesville to an elevation of 895 feet in Concord Township.

The southern end of the trail connects the Greenway Corridor with the Maple Highlands Trail to Chardon.

Advertisement

Parking is available at four locations along the corridor, and there are restrooms and drinking fountains available along the course.

Geoff Weber, race director for the Lake Health Running Series, said any of the metroparks in Northeast Ohio have great places to run for people looking to run on trails.

“I know for the people in eastern Lake County, it’s the Greenway Corridor,” Weber said. “It’s so nice because they have drinking fountains and restrooms and parking lots. That section in Painesville where it hits 3 miles — that’s by far the most popular.”

Weber also said the Cleveland Metroparks North Chagrin Reservation located in Mayfield Village, Willoughby Hills and Gates Mills is also a very popular place for local runners to go.

The reservation has an all-purpose trail that is 4.17 miles of paved trail for activities like cycling, walking and in-line skating.

The Northeast Running Club also hosts a weekly noncompetitive group run each Monday at 6 p.m. at Chagrin River Park that runs through Eastlake and Willoughby, Weber said. It’s a gathering that encourages people to run, especially for people who might enjoy a slower pace or who are just starting the hobby.

The Chagrin River runs through this 237-acre park and most of its natural areas are made up of dense shrubs with pockets of mature forest bordering wetland areas.

“I think they get a dozen people and they run through the park,” Weber said of the group run.

“It’s a limestone cinder path. It’s very flat and easy to run on. There is a parking lot and restroom.”

The runners typically run between 1 and 5 miles during each group run, he said.

The Northeast Running Club also hosts a 10-mile group run each Saturday starting at the Gristmill Plaza in Concord Township for people who are a little more serious about running.

“We go from the Gristmill Plaza and we go through Quail Hollow and across Ravenna Road and then go up the bike path to Route 84 and that’s 5 miles exactly and then we turn around,” Weber said.

This group run is usually held each week regardless of the weather, he said.

“We probably run that 50 times a year, rain or shine,” Weber said. “It starts at 7:30 a.m. In the summer we drop it down to 7 a.m. We usually get about 15 people, sometimes we get 25 if we can.”

In Lorain County, Barb Bickel, executive director for Visit Lorain County, said area runners having a great time voyaging Findley State Park or taking the North Coast Inland Trail.

“Trail runners can run Findley State Park in Wellington to enjoy miles of forested trail that wind around Findley Lake,” Bickel said. “The Lorain County Metro Parks’ North Coast Inland Trail also runs from Elyria to Kipton and is especially scenic for runners. And as a bonus, other than the crossings, runners don’t have to worry about vehicle traffic.”

Apart from the two parks, Bickel said the area’s Back Roads and Beaches Bike and Multi-sport route is the perfect option for local runners.

Located 35 miles west of Cleveland, the Back Roads and Beaches Bike and Multi-sport route is well-known for its miles of rolling, rural roads and scenery ranging from farmland to the shorelines of Lake Erie.

The route appeals to all kinds of sports enthusiasts, but is a special delight for runners able to take in some of Ohio’s best roads where wineries, galleries, shops and eateries are found.

For more about the Back Roads and Beaches route or Patchwork Trails of Lorain County, call Visit Lorain County at 440-984-5282.

Kevin Landis, co-founder of the Lorain County Running group said, in his opinion, some of the best trails in the county for running can be found at Days Dam in Lorain, Carlisle Reservation in Oberlin, and French Creek Reservation in Sheffield.

“I’m a real fan of the terrain along each of these trails,” Landis said. “It can sometimes get a little dodgy if you’re out there running in cold and harsh weather, but it’s still every bit as fun, especially if you’re in a running group or just with a couple friends.”

But not even poor weather can slow down the 46-year-old avid runner, who treads all kinds of terrain, rain or shine.

“I love running because it helps me to stay fit and pretty much anybody can do it,” Landis said. “Sure, there are some pacing skills and breathing techniques that are developed after a person has been running for some time, but for the most part, running is something anyone can do year-round. Whether it’s indoors or outdoors, I want to encourage everyone to at least try it for themselves because there’s so many social and physical benefits that running can bring a person to.”

No matter which trail runners choose, Landis said it’s important for beginner runners to start off slow and find your pace.

“The best advice I can give new runners is to start off slow and pace yourself,” he said. “You may not go as far as you’d like at first, but as long as you keep with it, you’ll be going even further than you ever imagined.”

Meeting every Tuesday at 8:15 p.m., the Lorain County Running Group runs 4.5 miles along the Oberlin bike path. The group also gathers Sundays at 7 a.m. at Lorain County Community College in Elyria.

For more information or to join the Lorain County Running group, call Landis at 440-552-1334.